The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-08-27
Mvlcs,'sso IN DRoUoNr.

rhs Ymusrstlvs Necessity Of PROTECTING
Ycung Trees In Hot weather.
Seldom summer season passes
without a drought. It may be OF only
A few weeks duration, or as some.
times is the case, it may extend
through the months of July, August
and September. Trees and shrubs
planted in the spring are at this season
passing a critical period; the roots and
shoots have got well started. but are In
A succulent and tender condition. and
are easily affected by any change aris'
ing from a lack Of moisture The
leaves are in condition to rapidly
evaporate moisture, the continual hot
and dry atmosphere greatly increasing
this evaporation. The rootlets are
taxed to their utmost to maintain this
rapid passing off Of the moisture, and
unless there is sufficient supply at
hand, they soon give out and the
organs of the tree or shrub become so
weakened that it has to succumb for
lack of nourishment. The surface Of
the soil becomes very hot if fully ex.
posed to the sun, and creates rapid
evaporation of the moisture 1t con-
tains
1t is imperatively necessary. there.
fore, 70 help check this rapid evapora-
ton bv mulching with some material
of sufficient loosencss to admit Of
water ana air, but still sufficiently
dense to prevent the SUMS rays from
drying and heating the soil. Before
applying the mulch, it is advisable tc
stir the surface of the soil to admit the
rains freely. On the top of this then
apply the mulch. spreading it out be-
yond tho area occupied by the roots,
for unless carried far enough from the
stem Of the tree to cover the rootlets
forming at the ends of the old roots,
it does not do very much good. We
often see trees having thick covering
of mulch placed close around the stem
of the tree, doing little, if any good.
as the roots requiring to be benefited
have extended several feet beyond
where the mulch is spread.
Mulching may not only be check
upon the evaporation of moisture from
the soil, but also an aid in supplying
food for newly set trees by using some
material containing supply of food.
Nothing is much better for this pur-
pose than the rough litter from the
manure pile. 1t contains considerable
of the elements which are necessary tc
build up plant life, and every shower
carries into the soil three elements in a
condition suitable at once for the
plants requirements. Spent hops, as
obtained from the breweries, make an
excellent mulch. have used it largely
for years, for this purpose. one
year mulched patch of late cabbage
with about three inches of hops. and al.
though severe drought set in during
September, l had a most excel
lent crop of the largest cab
bages l ever raised. l also value ii
very largely for potting material. When
thoroughly decayed it is open in tex
ture. and for such plants as geraniums.
fuchcias and heliotropes, makes one Of
the best soils know Of From one
brewery 1 get from sixty to one hun
dred loads Of this material every year.
and consider it Of double the value OF
barnyard manure, bulk for bulk.
Any coarse material, however. may
be used as a mulch, and rather than
allow the trees to suffer, use sawdust,
If nothing else can be had, although ]
am always averse to putting unde-
cayed sawdust upon any kind of soil.
especially soil of sour nature, where
the drainage is imperfect as it is apt to
make the soil more inert, and raise
crop Of fungus. m. Milton. in Country
Gentleman.